The present invention relates to a passive safety device for vehicles and, more particularly, to a passive safety device for passenger automobiles which includes a shoulder safety belt that is automatically moved between a restraining position about the body of an occupant and a release position upon movement of the vehicle door.
There are known passive safety devices having a safety belt with at least one upper end associated with the shoulder of a vehicle occupant and connected with a slide displaceable in a guide on the vehicle body. The slide in such a known device is displaceable by a drive as a function of the position of the adjacent vehicle door between a release position and a restraining position. In the release position, the safety belt is arranged to facilitate unobstructed access to the vehicle seat. In the restraining position, the belt safety holds the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat. The essential advantage of such passive safety devices is that during the operation of the vehicle the passengers need not actively apply the safety belt. This type of connection avoids unintentional or intentional non-application of the safety belt.
However, if a breakdown of the slide drive or a jamming of the slide in the guide occurs during the operation of the vehicle, the safety belt fastener no longer attains the restraining position so that the safety of the passenger is no longer ensured.